Captain’s Log-Day 60: Month 2 of captivitySorry my entries have been so scarce.As we feared, the tyrant we once wrote about has taken over ship. He came in like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.His small stature and initially fragile cries fooled us into letting our guard down and he now dictates our day to day.It has been a rough few months at sea to say the least.Due to endless time with the captor I have learned much about him.I tread lightly… He is skilled in the ancient art of Chinese sleep deprivation.He keeps his captives awake for hours on end.As soon as their eyes close and they enter the vulnerable space between being awake and asleep, he springs into action with his shrill demanding screams.The captives are rendered into walking zombies. I no longer wear make-up, get out of pajamas, and retain the “undead” stench after days without a shower.Worst yet, I don’t know exactly where a person learns the art of nipple mutilation but he is spot on, knowing the calculated steps to bring a grown woman to her knees.Pain, bleeding, pinching… all are unbearable.My partner in captivity is showing signs of improvement over the last several weeks.It was a tough recovery for him after the tormentor summoned the dreaded “hormones” to beat him to a bloody pulp.Unsure of his next move not to disturb the “hormones” my partner volunteered extra shifts with the tyrant.Despite his courageous attempts he was met with sticky, yellow plops of poop and oozing projectile vomit.Most of the time the messes occurred simultaneously and in the middle of the night.He experienced more wardrobe changes and loads of laundry than a grown man should!Still he pressed on.The oppressors attempt to keep us apart and at odds have been foiled for now but we must stand firm in our attempts to remain a united front.We are however being worn down day by day and I ultimately fear our surrender as we endure the most pervasive form of torture.We have no form of refuge or weapon against it.His smile, giggles, and hugs have us waving our white flag in surrender.They make our hearts into mush and make all other forms of torture a distant memory. We plead for you to keep us in your prayers as we are steadfast in this time of trial.We will keep you posted which may be at another time as our captor doesn’t allow for any unsupervised writing time and he is preparing to awaken from his rest which reguvinates him for another round.Ok really… that was silly and I apologize if anyone is offended by me calling our baby a tormentor.He doesn’t really torture us but the last part is true... we are absolutely defenseless against his cute little way. JI wrote the above like that on purpose.In my joking little way I wanted to bring to light the hardships of being a new parent.I don’t think anyone can prepare you for what you go through when you exit the doors of hospital with your baby carrier in hand.I do think that we should be talking about how hard it is in the first few weeks and how it is OK to struggle. IT IS HARD!!I want every mom to know exactly what to expect but I don’t think everyone’s experience is the ever same.So, I will share mine and hope that someone out there will receive a little encouragement from their past or future journey through the treacherous waters of new parenthood.My story to come…